Broken Vessels

I felt that this movie is well made. It is hardcore and in your face about the seriouse issues that it deals with. It doesn't exploit them or make fun. It has humor in the right places, not in the wrong places. The acting is great and the production is good to. Definitely a good movie. ***

After Having huge expectations for Scorcese's "Bringing Out The Dead" I was somewhat disappointed. But where the hell did BROKEN VESSELS come from? This film is everything the other one promised to deliver but didn't. My brother sent me a DVD saying "This is the best Indie film of the year." The art work on the cover was dreadful. It looked like a stupid B horror film. The back of the thing had some awards listed and kudos for the actors. I watched it last night. What a ride! Who is Scott Ziehl? Who is Susan Traylor? And who is Todd Field? Field should have been nominated for this performance. I can only guess that the film went straight to video. Too bad more people won't see it. The film accurately depicted the decline of two young men into self delusion and drug abuse. Far better (dare I say) than "Trainspotting."

In my job as a guitar teacher, I come in contact with many kids who are at the place in their lives where they are very impressionable and often have a glamorized view of drug use. I have shown this movie to several kids as an example of how drug abuse can get out of control in a hurry and ruin lives. I point out that the main character, Tom, had no intention of becoming an addict, but before he knew it, he had become one, and it was a short ride to hell from there. This movie makes this point without seeming like a health class documentary. The kids I've shown it too seemed to get the message. I give this movie a high rating, if for no other reason, because it helps me to possibly save the kids from becoming what I myself had once been.

I was floored by this movie. Having spent seven years in various Washington state prisons alongside the disenfranchised casualties of the idiotic and doomed "war on drugs",I am no stranger to the deleterious effects of drug abuse and I thought this movie was one of the very few anti-drug movies that really got the message across without preaching or appearing to glamorize drugs. Jason London quite impressed me with his portrayal of a small town innocent corrupted by big city vices. But the film belongs to Todd Field; he gives an Oscar-worthy performance.This is a classic, really. Right up there with Dugstore Cowboy.

this film came out about the same time as "bringing out the dead". with all due respect to Martin and Nick-this is the movie they could have made if hollywood hadn't warped the way a story is told. style over substance. with that said-this is a tough film to watch. the performances are dead solid perfect. the voice over is a difficult device to pull off and it doesn't always work here, but... there was a truth that i wanted to watch play out.